The Boston Red Sox have been hit hard by injuries early in the season, particularly within their starting rotation. Among the latest casualties is veteran right-hander Walker Buehler, who was recently placed on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder soreness.
While the move sparked concern among fans already weary of the team’s growing injury list, there’s promising news: Buehler is expected to make a quick recovery. However, the pitcher himself admitted feeling a bit embarrassed about the situation.
Buehler downplayed the severity of the injury, telling MassLive’s Chris Cotillo that he anticipates missing only “two or three starts” before rejoining Boston’s rotation. Despite the optimistic timeline, the nature of the injury — diagnosed as bursitis — left the 30-year-old feeling uneasy about landing on the IL.
“I’ve pitched through a lot in my career,” Buehler said. “So the fact that it was just bursitis and I still had to go on the IL is kind of embarrassing for me. But you need to be able to meet certain physical benchmarks to start a game, and I wasn’t there.”
Bursitis is inflammation often caused by friction between bones, muscles, and joints. It typically resolves with rest in a few weeks, matching Buehler’s projected return.
Before the setback, Buehler had started to regain his form, going 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA and 22 strikeouts over his last four appearances (24 1/3 innings). If he resumes that level of performance, it could significantly boost the Red Sox’s playoff hopes. Boston currently holds +2000 odds to win the 2025 World Series, tied for ninth-best on DraftKings Sportsbook.
